Flames Pond and the Princess 4: Flames Pond Never Dies

Getting to Know the Real You

Lucy's POV
I woke up to find myself tied in a chair. My neck ached and my eyes were still trying to focus. I looked around. The room was kind of empty. Well, there were windows and other pieces of furniture to kind of lighten the room, I suppose. I tried breaking the bonds.

"Help!" I shout. "Somebody help!"

There was no answer.

Suddenly I heard footsteps. It was Flames. Well, the supposed Flames Pond.

"Sorry," he said. "But no one can help you."

I tried to get free but then I realized that I was only wasting my time. I sighed. "Fine. What do you want?"

"I want you to know that it really is me."

"And how will you prove that? And don't kiss me again."

Flames just chuckled. "Oh don't worry. I won't."

He walked off to get something. In the meanwhile, I was trying to find a way out of this. However, when he came back, I pretended to act all calm.

Just then, he pulled out a newspaper.

I only saw a few interesting articles and a blank sudoku game.

Flames's POV
Lucy probably thought I was crazy.

"What?" she said. "Are we gonna play sudoku now? That's very convincing."

"No!" I opened the newspaper up and took out a picture of the Agency. "Remember this place?"

"Yeah. It's the Agency. Wait, where did you get that photo?"

Finally. Something was clicking. I could feel it.

"OK. Now you're starting to recognize something. Next item." I pointed out a picture of the Fuzzy Guy in the newspaper.

"That's the Fuzzy Guy." Lucy said.

"Mmm hmm..."

Lucy's started to become a little cross. "OK. Get to the point! I'm already starting to lose my patience on this whole thing! Besides, only the real Flames Pond would know everything about me!"

I threw my arms up in frustration. "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

Lucy was startled. Angered, I turned around and buried my head in my hands.
Girls. They always needed more details.

Just then, I got an idea. I slowly lifted my head up.

"You know, since nothing has really surprised me yet, you're gonna have to let me go. Whether you like it or not."

I didn't answer. I didn't need to answer.

Please let this work! I thought.

Taking a deep breath, I thought of what to say.

"You said that the only the real Flames Pond would know you?" I asked.

Lucy's POV
I stopped. "Well, yeah."

Flames didn't turn. "Well, I know you."

I scoffed. "Pfft! Prove it."

This made him turn. "OK. Well, I know that... your favorite color is pink."

"That's pretty obvious. You could do better."

"OK. Um, you're a person who's always wanted to feel free. And that's why you became an Agent in the first place. For your Agent name, you chose the name Star Swirl. You also hated it when people, especially bad guys, made fun of it. And as a Princess, you hated all the rules you had to live by. You also still dread the day your father died."I had to admit, that was pretty good. "What else?"

"You have a beautiful singing voice. And you learned to play guitar at a young age."

"You lost me now. Besides, that could be anyone. Sorry. You were doing just fine, but nothing's getting to me."

Flames was silent for a while.

Flames's POV
"You have a daughter." I say.

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked.

"You heard me. You have a daughter. Lily, right?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. She's a teenager now. And she really misses her father. Just like me..."

I started to walk up to her. "Would a fake Flames Pond remember how much his daughter dreamed about being known as Violet the Agent? Would a fake Flames Pond remember how many times he sacrificed himself for the one person he truly cared about?"

Lucy was silent.

I then noticed a scar on Lucy's arm. "That scar." I said. "You got it while you were trying to escape Purple Guy's clutches."

Still silence.

"And what was the last thing Flames told you before you left that dreaded office?"

Lucy's eyes started to water. Was it working?

Lucy's voice cracked as she spoke. "To make sure that she became an Agent..."

I only smiled. It worked.